2005 Forx Film Fest

From Fargo Filmmaking

The fourth annual Forx Film Fest was held November 18-19, 2005 at the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks, ND. There were 22 shorts and four features on the program.

For a second year, the festival recognized the historic heritage of the Empire Theatre by starting off the screenings with a film that had played there during its first year of operation. Hawthorne of the USA was made in 1919, the year the building was constructed, and actually played there in mid-February of 1920, three months after the theatre opened. Wallace Reid starred as a wealthy American tourist visiting a sleepy, impoverished eastern European kingdom plagued with terrorists, revolutionaries, and a corrupt military. When he falls in love with the princess, he decides the only way to solve everyone's problems is to turn the country into a democracy and use it as an economic investment opportunity for himself and a visiting U.S. Senator--which he does, almost single-handedly. The romantic comedy and political satire was based on a 1912 stage play written while world affairs were gradually seething into World War I, and the Russian revolution had just taken place when the movie was made. Despite being 86 years old, the film retained a timeliness that was not lost on the festival audience.

Contents 1 Awards and Award Winners 2 November 18 2.1 Friday Evening Session 3 November 19 3.1 Saturday Morning Session 3.2 Saturday Afternoon Session 3.3 Saturday Evening Session

[edit] Awards and Award Winners

Best Feature: Cold Harbor (2003)

Best Short: Balance Beam (2005)

Best Documentary: The Backyard Experience (2005)

Best Music Video: KC Villnz (2005)

Best Student Production: Hero (2005)

Audience Favorite: Cold Harbor (2003)

The schedule for the fourth year of the fest was as follows, with descriptions from the printed program:

[edit] November 18

[edit] Friday Evening Session

• Hawthorne of the USA (1919) directed by James Cruze, 57 min.

Silent film tribute (Famous Players-Lasky Corporation)

• Escape (2005) directed by Chris Haake, 30 min.

Jason (Grant F. Haake) visits a rooftop as a way to clear his mind and mentally focus. But as daily stress becomes too much for him, his tool becomes a crutch and his escape becomes a prison.

• MissFortune directed by Eddie Gonzalez, Anthony Nelson, and Adam Nelson, 6 min.

Why is it that "psychics" always know when to expect you? How do they know so much about you? Watch and find out.

• Unlovable (2004) directed by Garrett Foltz, 15 min.

Alex runs away form his problems, the problems that have kept him at a distance from his friends and family.

• Untitled Zach Marion Movie directed by Zach Marion, 3 min.

This music video highlights the band Battle at Sea's performance at Triplerock in Minneapolis.

• Balance Beam (2005) directed by Adam Nelson and Anthony Nelson, 17 min.

Jake struggles with his newly retired life.

• Don't Whistle (2005) directed by Kak Lee, 11 min.

Tou has been telling his roommate Eric about his cultural belief that you cannot whistle at night. Refusing to believe Tou, Eric keeps whistling. Because the house that they live in has a bad history of domestic violence, Eric's soul was taken away by the woman who was killed in the house.

• Survivor Type (2005) directed by Charles Hinton, 5 min.

There are good auditions, and there are bad auditions. You decide.

• KC Villnz (2005) directed by Charles Hinton, 3 min.

Get down with the thump'n Hip Hop sounds from the up and coming rap group the KC Villnz.

• Working Nights (2005) directed by Christopher P. Jacobs, 48 min.

Edited scenes from a work-in-progress. A woman whose boyfriend and brother are involved in underworld dealings embezzles some money, then mysteriously disappears after rekindling a relationship with an old acquaintance.

[edit] November 19

[edit] Saturday Morning Session

• Panel discussion on independent moviemaking by regional filmmakers and instructors, with audience Q&A

[edit] Saturday Afternoon Session

• Hero (2005) directed by Laurel Hasbargen, James Moen, and Hannah Aagenes, 10 min.

A little boy goes on an adventure to meet his hero.

• All the World's a Stage (2005) directed by Jeremy Petron and Eddie Gonzalez, 9 min.

A man is trying to gain courage to do his part in a play while dealing with advice, criticism and temptation.

• Good Vibrations (2005) directed by Nicky Larson, 4 min.

Music video to "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

• Sattice Factory Competition (2005) directed by Quinn Callens, 13 min.

Two factories, one town. A series of hasty decisions.

• Music to My Ears (2005, roughcut of second half-hour) directed by Christopher P. Jacobs, 30 min.

Several scenes and trailers from a new movie musical in post-production.

• Wake (2005) directed by Patrick McGrane, 13 min.

Lessons learned after a life of heroism.

• The Colossal Rescue (2005) directed by Tom Speer, 20 min.

It's "Lost in Space" meets "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" in this 1930s style B science fiction comedy.

• Death of Art (2005) directed by Mike Stromenger, 14 min.

A community theatre has to adjust when their director dies and a pompous director is brought in to save their show.

• Adam Maxwell: Relationship Guru (2005) directed by Chris Dorfschmidt, 98 min.

When competition arrives on the scene, relationship guru Adam Maxwell must come up with a way to recapture his audience.

[edit] Saturday Evening Session

• The Backyard Experience directed by Shane Andreasen, 40 min.

Explore the turbulent world of backyard wrestling as a group of rowdy delinquents prepare for their farewell extravaganza.

• Dead On (2004) directed by Megan Vaughan, 13 min.

A satirical look at the darker side of film making.

• Hard Day's Work (2005) directed by Charles Hinton, 25 min.

Though their jobs may be routine and often mundane, Ian (Jeff Nichol) and Clay's (David Wallace) conversations to and from work are energetic, compassionate, adventurous, and sometimes humorous. Going to work, for these two men, doesn't always have to be dull.

• The Score (2005) directed by Charles Hinton, 5 min.

Something wicked has come to the lively town of Fargo, North Dakota, hell-bent on settling the score.

• It Don't Mean a Thing directed by Patrick McGrane and Tom Speer, 10 min.

A humorous musical look at a couple who decide to become swingers.

• Untitled Jesse Nelson Movie directed by Jesse Nelson, 2 min.

It is an 8mm hand-painted scratch film, mixed with images sort of like a painting in motion.

• Cold Harbor (2003) directed by Tom Brandau, 98 min.

Cold Harbor is the bittersweet, haunting story of four brothers forced to deal with the suicide of their estranged father.